Dispensing toothbrush



Jan. 31, 1967 GERARD] ETAL 3,301,267

DISPENS ING TOOTHBRUSH Filed Jan. 11, 1965 //VV/VI'0P5 JOSEPH J, GERARD! LOUIS \Al. BECKER A Tram/5r,

3,301,267 DISPENSING TOOTHBRUSH Joseph J. Gerardi and Louis W. Becker, both of 4344 Kissena Blvd., Flushing, N.Y. 11355 Filed Jan. 11, 1965, Ser. No. 424,644 6 Claims. (Cl. 132-84) This invention relates to a dispensing brush. More particularly, this application relates to a re-usable toothbrush having means to dispense toothpaste onto the bristles thereof.

Heretofore, dispensing toothbrushes have been constructed using complicated mechanical mechanisms. Such brushes have used plungers, toothpaste tube collapsing mechanisms, and complicated squeezing mechanisms. Because of their complicated constructions, such mechanisms are expensive to manufacture, difficult to maintain, and have gained little commercial success.

The present invention seeks to overcome the disadvantages of the prior art by providing a refillable dispensing type toothbrush which is uncomplicated in construction, durable, easy to use, and relatively inexpensive to manufacture.

It therefore is a general object of the present invention to provide a novel dispensing toothbrush.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a novel dispensing toothbrush which is refillable.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a novel dispensing toothbrush having resilient collapsible walls.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a novel dispensing toothbrush having resilient collapsible walls and means for collapsing the same,

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a dispensing toothbrush having a novel means for facilitating the refilling of the same.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

For the purpose of illustrating the invention, there is shown in the drawings a form which is presently preferred; it being understood, however, that this invention is not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown.

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of the brush constructed in accordance with the present invention.

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged transverse sectional View of the brush shown in FIGURE 1 taken along the line 2 2.

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged transverse sectional view of the brush shown in FIGURE 1 taken along the line 33.

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged transverse sectional view of the brush shown in FIGURE 1 taken along the line 44.

FIGURE 5 is a partial sectional view taken along the line 55 in FIGURE 4.

FIGURE 6 is a reduced sectional view of the brush shown in FIGURE 2 taken along the line 66.

FIGURE 7 is a view similar to FIGURE 6 showing the slide member moved forward to extrude material contained in the handle into the bristle area.

FIGURE 8 is a partial sectional view showing the brush of FIGURE 1 disassembled for receiving material to be dispensed.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, wherein like numerals indicate like elements, there is shown in FIG- URE l a dispensing brush designated generally as 10.

For purposes of illustrating the invention, the dispensing brush 10 is a toothbrush. However, by disclosing the invention as a toothbrush it is in no way intended that this invention be limited thereto. Those skilled in the art will readily recognize that the dispensing brush 10 may be adopted for other purposes.

As sown in FIGURE 1, the brush 10 includes a handle 12 having a head 14 mounted adjacent one end thereof. The head 14 is angularly disposed with respect to the I United States Patent Ofifice 3,301,267 Patented Jan. 31, 1967 handle 12 and supports a plurality of bristles 16. The handle 12 and head 14 are shown as an integral unit, but those skilled in the art will readily recognize that the head 14 may be separately constructed and adapted for mounting upon the handle 12.

A cap 18 is provided in the end of handle 12 for sealing the same. A slide member 20 is mounted on the handle 12 in sliding engagement therewith. The construction and function of cap 18 and slide member 20 will be explained in more detail below.

As best shown in FIGURE 6, the head 14 has a hollow interior 22 which is in open communication with the hollow interior 24 of handle 12. A plurality of holes 26 are provided in the face 28 of head 14 upon which bristles 16 are mounted. The holes 26 provide communication with the hollow interior 22, and it is through these holes that the material to be dispensed, such as toothpaste, is extruded.

The handle 12 comprises laterally extending longitudinal ribs 30 and 32 which are connected by the collapsible walls 34 and 36 extending there-between. As shown, the ribs 30 and 32 are thickened so as to be relatively stiff in relation to the walls 34 and 36 which are relatively thin and flexible.

unyielding. However, they should have suflicient stiffness to prevent more than a minimal amount of bending when the dispensing brush 10 is in use. The walls.

' and 36 should be made of a flexible resilient material.

It has been found that the handle 12, head 14, cap 16 and slide member 20 may be made from a polymeric material such as polyethylene. In using this material, the head 14 and ribs 30 and 32 will be sufficiently stiff and the walls 34 and 36 sufificiently flexible and resilient.

As best shown in FIGURE 3, the slide member 20 consists of a block 20, having an aperture 38 therein. As best shown in FIGURE 3, the aperture 38 is enlarged at its ends to slidingly receive ribs 30 and 32 therein. Projections 40 and 42 extend into the aperture 38 from opposite sides of the slide member 20. The projections 40 and 42 are spaced apart at their foremost extension by a distance approximately equal to the combined thickness of walls 34 and 36.

As indicated above, a cap 18 is provided in the end of handle 12 to close the same. As shown in FIGURE 5, the head 44 of cap 18 has a diameter which substantially equals the outside distance across the ribs 30 and 32. A threaded shank 46 extends from the head 44 and threadedly engages mating threads provided in ribs 30 and 32. When the cap 18 is tightened down, it effectively closes the end of handle 12. A. coaxial opening 48 has been provided in cap 18. The opening 48 is large enough to permit air to enter the hollow interior 24 of handle 12 but small enough to prevent a viscous material such as toothpaste from escaping therethrough.

The threads used on cap 18 and ribs 30 and 32 are of a standard size adapted to receive the threaded end of most commercially available toothpaste tubes. Thus, referring to FIGURE 8, a toothpaste tube 50 is shown in threaded engagement with the end of handle 12. To fill the handle 12 with material, such as toothpaste, the tube 50 is collapsed in any conventional manner thereby forcing toothpaste into the interior 22 and 24 of the head 14 and handle 12. During this operation the cap 18 and slide member 20 have been removed as shown in FIG- URE 8. The handle 12 is substantially completely filled with material 52, leaving only an empty area near the end. After filling, the slide member is brought into engagement with the ribs 30 and 32 by sliding it onto the handle 12 over the open end thereof. The slide member The ribs 30 and 32 need not be 20 is moved a short distance toward the head 14 so as to permit the cap 18 to be threadedly engaged with the end of handle 12. Since the handle 12 is not completely filled the short forward movement of slide member 20 to permit the cap 18 to be put in place is possible without causing the material 52 to be extruded through hole 26.

After the dispensing brush has been assembled in the manner described, it may be used as follows:

The slide member 20 is moved forward a short distance and the projections 40 and 42 collapse the walls 34 and 36 between them. This action forces the material 52 to be moved forward and extruded through holes 26 onto bristles 16. After the desired amount of material has been extruded onto bristles 16 the brush is ready for use.

As illustrated in FIGURE 7, the portion of the walls 34 and 36 behind the slide member 20, being resilient, resume their natural shape. The opening 48 in cap 18 permits air to enter the interior of handle 12 behind slide member 20 so that a vacuum is not created causing the walls 34 and 36 to remain collapsed.

The present invention may be embodied in other spe cific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof and, accordingly, reference should be made to the appended claims, rather than to the foregoing specification as indicating the scope of the invention.

We claim: I

1. A dispensing brush comprising a hollow handle, means supporting bristles adjacent one end of said handle, means for providing communication between said bristles and the hollow interior of said handle, at least a portion of said handle including longitudinal relatively stiff spaced apart ribs and relatively flexible spaced apart walls supported by said ribs, slide means supported on said handle for collapsing said flexible walls, and means for closing the other end of said handle.

2. A dispensing brush in accordance with claim 1 wherein said means for closing the other end of said handle includes the removable cap having a hole therein.

3. A dispensing brush in acordance with claim 2 wherein said other end is provided with female threads and said cap is provided with mating male threads, said female threads being adapted to matingly engage the threaded end of means containing material to be dispensed.

4. A brush in accordance with claim 1 wherein said slide means comprises a slide member having an aperture therein defining spaced apart rib engaging portions, and wall collapsing means projecting into said aperture between said rib engaging portion.

5. A dispensing brush comprising a hollow head portion and a hollow handle portion, bristles supported on said head portion, at least one opening in said head portion providing communication between said bristles and the hollow interior of said handle, at least a portion of said handle comprising a pair of spaced apart longitudinal relatively stiff ribs and a pair of spaced apart flexible resilient walls connected to said ribs, slide means supported on said handle for selectively collapsing a portion of said walls, said slide means including an apertured member adapted to slidingly engage said ribs and opposed projections adapted to collapse said walls, and means for closing the other end of said handle.

6. A dispensing brush in accordance with claim 5, wherein said means for closing the other end of said handle includes a cap having a threaded projection thereon, said handle being adapted to threadedly engage said threaded projection, said cap having an opening therein coaxial of the hollow interior of said handle.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 818,000 4/ 1906 Stevenson 132-84 2,083,603 6/1937 Harwick 13284 2,507,250 5/ 1950 Eastin 13284 RICHARD A. GAUDET, Primary Examiner.

G. McNEILL, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A DISPENSING BRUSH COMPRISING A HOLLOW HANDLE, MEANS SUPPORTING BRISTLES ADJACENT ONE END OF SAID HANDLE, MEANS FOR PROVIDING COMMUNICATION BETWEEN SAID BRISTLES AND THE HOLLOW INTERIOR OF SAID HANDLE, AT LEAST A PORTION OF SAID HANDLE INCLUDING LONGITUDINAL RELATIVELY STIFF SPACED APART RIBS AND RELATIVELY FLEXIBLE SPACED APART WALLS SUPPORTED BY SAID RIBS, SLIDE MEANS SUPPORTED ON SAID HANDLE FOR COLLAPSING SAID FLEXIBLE WALLS, AND MEANS FOR CLOSING THE OTHER END OF SAID HANDLE. 